Nitrostarch explosive



RATION OF NEW YORK.

NITROSTARGH EXPLOSIVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

YORK, N. ,Y., A. CORIPO- No. 439,056. r

' sives, and its object is the production of an v V facture. 7

I have discovered that if water be added explosive of high brisance andnon-inflammability, and to lessen the dangerof'manuto nitro-starch toreduce the infiammability of the latter, and the proportions be properlyI regulated, the increase in density. fully offsets any reduction ofenergy due to the addition of water, so that by comparing wet and drynitro-starch bulk to bulk, the former can be made to produce a higherexplosive effect than the latter.

I have further discovered that if a water soluble salt such as ammoniumnitrate be added to the wet nitro-starch,the density of the latter canbe still further increased, the freezing point considerablyreduced, andthe ready evaporation of the water when the mixture is exposed to theair can be prevented.

embodying my invention, I instance the following Nitro-starch i 65%Waten 15% Ammonium nitrate 20% r I may make up this mixture by addingtwenty parts of dry ammonium nitrate to eighty parts of nitro-starchcontaining 1 18.75% moisture.

The particular proportions of the several ingredients referred to may bevaried somewhat. In order to get the best results theter, substantiallyas and for the purpose de-v Y percentage of water should be more than10% and may even be more than 15%, and ammonium nitrate should be morethan 10% As an example of an explosive mixture and may be as high as20%,as in the example given. In any event the percentage of I PatentedAug. 2, 1921.

' No Drawing. Application filed January 15, 1919, Serial No. 271,310.Renewed January 21, 1921. I Serial 1 UNITED STATES? PA "rarar*"OFFJIEE,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NO'R, B Y"Mns1\'rn ammonium nitrate and waterpresent will be substantial, being not less than approximately 20% ofthe entire mixture;

In the manufacture of the explosive aforesaid, I have found that if themixture has any tendency to dry out upon exposure to a dry atmosphere,this tendencyma'y be overcome by the addition of a small quantity ofcalcium nitrate,ea salt of high deliquescence. I have usedsuccessfullylcalcium nitratein the proportion of from 4% to 8% oftheentire mixture. V

As an exampleof the mixture including calcium'nitrate, I instance thefollowing Nitro-starch Ammonium nitrate 14% Calcium nitrate 6% Water 15%Comparing this mixture with that given above, it will be seen that aportion of the ammonium nitrate has been replaced by cal-.

cium nitrate. Thls mixture may be ture, ten parts of a 60% calciumnitrate solution in water, and l l'parts of dry ammonium nitrate.

Here again the proportions of the ingredi:

ents may be varied, and I have obtained success with mixtures containingnitro-starch from 60 to ammonium nitrate 19 to 9%, calcium nitrate lto8%, water 17 to 13%.

It will also be understood that in utilizing the explosivedescribed, itcan be incorporated with a suitable carbonaceous. or combustibleingredient, in accordance with the practice in--this art.

I claim: I

1. An explosive comprising nitro-starch, ammonium nitrate, calciumnitrate and wascribed.

- 7 made by adding to I r 76 parts nitrosst'arch containing 14.5%.mois-2. An explosive consisting of nitrosstarch, 1

' ammonium? nitrate, Bald-um; nitrate and vproXimately M75;calciumnitmte approxi water. 1 mately6%:and water appl oximately 15%. v10 3.,AI1 explosive consisting of from 60% 5. 'An explosive comprlsingnitrmstard "to 70% nitr'o sta1'ch,'1-)'%'i:0- 9%.mnmonium ammoniumnitrate, Water and calcium n1-' I 5 nitrate,4% to 8% ca1cium nitratqand17 tmtgthelastnamed ingnedienti representing $001394; water. 7 1approximately &% to 8% of the entire miX- 4. A11 explosive consistingofnitro-starch turepw; V I I approximately 65%, ammonium nitrate ap-y vj :OH'ARLESRE.

